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Camarilla
The Camarilla is the largest of vampiric sects, a loose organization which ostensibly represents and protects all vampires by enforcing and promulgating the Masquerade. It is currently composed of six clans, though officially it considers all Kindred under its purview and welcomes any that obey its laws. In addition to preventing the growing mortals masses from discovering the existence of vampires, the Camarilla aims to maintain the status quo of Kindred society; as such, much of its structure and traditions mirror that of Cainite society in Europe in the dark ages, and places it at odds with the agenda of the Sabbat and Carthians. Philosophy In general, much of the Camarilla's approach to maintaining order involve enacting the Traditions, which among other things means supporting a system of feudal domains and the responsibilities of sires for the conduct of their childer. The latter idea is often taken farther to mean the sire has authority over the childe, and that elder vampires are intrinsically more deserving of respect and fit for leadership than younger vampires. Whatever the merits of that position may be, it has a tendency to instill great resentment among young Kindred and in the past has driven many to the Anarchs. Older vampires naturally support the social order which they have mastered over the centuries, and in fact much of the Camarilla's policies are designed to facilitate the activities of Kindred who have long ago lost touch with the mortal world.. Humanity The Camarilla's position in regard to mortals is simply pragmatic. In the dark ages the Inquisition and other mortal forces were responsible for the destruction of countless vampires. Now that the mortal population is counted in billions instead of millions and have created weapons stronger than the most powerful Disciplines, they could easily destroy most of Kindred society should their existence be revealed. Thus, the Camarilla ensures that mortal populations are not unduly harmed by vampire activities in order to protect the Masquerade, not out of any good will towards humanity. Still, Kindred are encouraged to blend in with mortals as best as possible and to retain the civility and composure that comes from holding onto one's human characteristics. Almost all Camarilla members are on the "Path" of Humanity, with Paths of Enlightenment being strongly discouraged and usually only practiced by elders. Antediluvians and Gehenna The vast majority of Kindred in the Camarilla are no older than a century or two and thus were not alive during the time when the Antediluvians were active powers in the world. Though they may be educated in the story of Caine and the creation of vampires, many regard such tales as myths having been raised in more scientific times. The leaders of the sect have long made it a strict policy to deny the existence of beings such as the Antediluvians, or at the very least state that they all perished centuries ago. Similarly, talk about Gehenna is discouraged if not punished, if only because of the very genuine concern that such ideas may cause individuals to become paranoid, irrational, and maybe even join a Gehenna cult. While very few Kindred would profess to believing in stories of the End Times, many also grow nervous upon seeing signs and portents that seem to appear with frequency in the Final Nights. The Camarilla's stance is one of the primary reasons the Sabbat claims that the Camarilla is in fact controlled by the Antediluvians and actively serving their interests. While it is perhaps unlikely that the Camarilla is directly controlled by outside forces, it does appear that even the most knowledgeable and powerful members of the Ivory Tower refuse to make any preparations for the possibility of Gehenna. Organization The Camarilla is a global organization that maintains and oversees a collection of feudal domains, particularly in North America and Europe. It is a loose alliance lacking a strong central authority or standing military. Individual Camarilla cities are almost always ruled by a prince with the assistance of the primogen, who either act as a council of advisers or hold their own measure of power. Other offices of a city include the harpy, Keeper of Elysium, seneschal, sheriff, and scourge. Most Camarilla cities are fairly autonomous, and the broader Camarilla authority usually only becomes involved when there are concerns of a large Sabbat incursion, significant breaches of the Masquerade, or conflicts between a city's elders that could cause greater instability. In such cases one or more archons are dispatched to look into the matter and either resolve the matter or report back to their respective justicar. Whereas there are any number of archons that have been enlisted to serve the sect's leaders, there is only one justicar for each official clan in the Camarilla. These influential vampires represent the highest visible authority of the Camarilla and hold tremendous power to enforce the sect's precepts and call on its resources. They answer only to the Inner Circle, a secretive body of the Camarilla's eldest members that determines the sect's direction and policies. Member Clans *Brujah *Malkavian *Nosferatu *Toreador *Tremere *Ventrue Covenants under the Camarilla Umbrella *Carthian Movment (Sometimes.) *Ordo Dracul (Ostensibly) *House Tremere (Only as far as they will let themselves by 'under' anyone) *The Lancea Sanctum (For now) *The Ashirra (For now) Enemies of the Camarilla *The Sabbat *The Belials Brood (Who isn't the broods enemy) *The Carthian Movement (Sometimes. Okay much of the time) *VII Camarilla in Portland Within Portland proper there exists no direct Camarilla agents that anyone knows of. The city is rife with former camarilla members however, even some who held prominent positions within Camarilla domains. Portland even has an ex-archon within its boarders. Its suspected that many of these persons are wanted by the Camarilla.